Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
6-3, 1-1Pac-12
California
4-6, 1-1Pac-12
Buffs Defeat Cal in Dominant Fashion
March 23, 2024 | Lacrosse
Colorado Earns First Pac-12 Conference Win
BOULDER — An imposing 10-0 scoring run in the first half propelled the No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes over the Golden Bears Saturday afternoon to earn their first conference win of the season.
The Buffs improve to 6-3 (1-1 Pac-12) while the Golden Bears fall to 4-6 (1-1 Pac-12).
Eight separate scorers for 15 goals as a team led the Buffaloes to an important conference win. Five different CU players had two or more scores during the contest.
They end their final Pac-12 conference game in Berkeley with an impressive win, and have won the last seven games inside California Memorial Stadium.
"I'm proud of a lot of what we did today," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. "We needed to come out and prove to ourselves we could be more consistent and in control. Defensively we started slow but then were able to lock in and make some plays. Offensively we were more efficient than we were last week and that was a huge positive for us."
Madeline Pisani's three goals in the first half earns her the eighth hat trick of the year and has scored at least two or more goals in every game. She has 32 goals on the year, and leads the conference.
Senior Sydney Zimmerman tallied her first ever three goal game, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. She now has eight goals on the season, a career-high.
Ashley Stokes ended the day with five points (2 goals, 3 assists) which led all Colorado players, and has now scored in every game this season. Stokes' three assists is just the second time all year a CU player has had three assists in a single game, with Lily Assini doing it back in February against Northwestern.
Jess Peluso posted a career-high five caused turnovers, and now has 19 on the season, the most in the Pac-12. She is the only player in the conference with multiple games of four or more caused turnovers. Peluso also tied her season-high with four ground balls.
The Buffs end their Pac-12 regular season series with Cal with an 13-2 record overall since 2014, and a 13-game winning streak.
"All conference wins are big and this was a big one for us to get back on track," coach Whidden stated. "We have spring break coming up and need to utilize this time to just get better from a skill perspective. We will lock that in and get ready for a big stretch coming up, starting with San Diego State at home."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal got out to an early 1-0 via Addie Fischer goal. They extended their lead to two on a free position attempt.
Buffs would own up to the deficit, with Madeline Pisani scoring on a free position attempt of her own, then a quick Rachel Kennedy score assisted by Maddie Shoup. Pisani netted her second goal of the day for the third consecutive CU goal, and just like that it was a 3-2 lead for the Buffs.
After the first shot attempt was knocked away, Ashley Stokes gained possession and fired one into the back of the net to extend the Colorado lead to two. Pisani recorded her third score of the game shortly after with another free position goal to make it five consecutive goals for the Buffs.
Stokes scored her second goal at the 12:10 mark in the second quarter to put her team up 6-2. Lily Assini joined the scoring party for CU, earning her third goal of the season. Sydney Zimmerman would be the fifth Buffalo to score in the contest, to go up 8-2 with 9:37 remaining in the first half of play. Taking advantage on a man-up opportunity, Eve Hritzuk scored her 21st goal of the season. Zimmerman continued the torrid run for Colorado, with her second goal on the afternoon, for a 10-0 run on the Bears.
The Golden Bears broke the 10-0 Colorado scoring run with 3:59 left in the second quarter to cut the lead to seven. Each team added one more score, heading into the break with an 11-3 Colorado lead.
Hritzuk got things going in the second half for CU, while Mya Wang answered back for the Bears under a minute later. Zimmerman notched her third score of the game followed up by Kennedy's second, to give the Buffaloes a double-digit lead early in the third period.
After a nine minute scoring drought between the two teams, Molly Reed joined the action for CU, putting the Buffaloes up by 11 with 1:18 left in the third quarter.
The first 10 minutes of the final quarter saw no scores until Wang found the back of the net for the second time of the game. Kennedy Mason and Fischer scored for the Bears sixth and seventh goals of the game but with under a minute left and trailing eight, the Buffaloes would close this one out.
GOAL SCORERS
Madeline Pisani - 3
Sydney Zimmerman - 3
Ashley Stokes - 2
Rachel Kennedy - 2
Eve Hritzuk - 2
Lily Assini - 1
Averi Gardner -1
Molly Reed - 1
UP NEXT
The Buffs will head back home next weekend and take on the San Diego State Aztecs. The game will be Saturday, March 30 at 12 p.m. MST.
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Career Goal No. 1? for Averi! ??#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/JJe2WplmT1
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) March 23, 2024
Two goals in a span of 1:10 ??
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) March 23, 2024
Sydney Zimmerman with goals no. 6 & 7 on the year. #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/COFgKsweIC
It's bound to happen at least once a game!
— Colorado Buffaloes Lacrosse (@CUBuffsWLax) March 23, 2024
Stokes has scored in every game this season and extends our lead ??#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/JVZPE5WUAR
